The Paw Print

A news publication created by Baruch's College Now high school journalism class

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Good Deed, Gone Wrong.

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Recently, a friend joined me for lunch at Dunkin Donuts. While eating, a homeless man approached my friend and I, and insisted that it was our duty, as African Americans, to buy him something to eat. He said, “we were black and black people need to stick together.”
 
And so I did. Not necessarily because we shared the same skin tone, but because I was tremendously uncomfortable with his approach and how close he was to our table. My decision to buy him something was a way of removing myself from this discomfort.
At the register, I was surprised at how I mentally debated which donut he would most enjoy. Thoughts such as, “he may not like frosting,” caused me to disregard the ones that had frosting. Thoughts like, “…he may not like fillings either,” caused me to decide on a glazed donut. 
As I walked towards the seemingly starving man who sat inches away from my table, an overwhelming feeling of satisfaction for my good deed was expressed through my face. With a smile, I handed him the bag that held the glazed donut, and proceeded to sit next to my friend who gave me a nod for my considerate deed. 
No sooner did I sit down, did the homeless man howl with anger, “I said I was hungry and you buy me a DAMN donut?!” Everyone in the restaurant stood motionless as the man scolded me for buying him a donut. I was as stiff as the face of my friend, who I knew wanted so desperately to leave the restaurant.
The man demanded that I get my money back, and as his voice began to reach a demonic high, I envisioned him ending my life right then and there, in the Dunkin Donuts.
Luckily, there was a moment when the man turned around, which gave both my friend and I enough time to run out the restaurant. We continued running for several blocks, before stopping to comprehend what exactly just happened.
I apparently brought a homeless man a donut, and was nearly attacked because it wasn’t what he expected. This was beyond funny to the both of us. We both looked just as crazy as the homeless man, as we laughed on the crowded sidewalk. However, despite our laughter, we couldn’t’t help but take continuous glances over our shoulders to reassure ourselves that we some how, some way, were able to escape the hostility of a mentally distraught man.

"White Blank Page"

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My favorite song this week is “White Blank Page” by Mumford and Sons. This song is about a relationship that revolves around sex. In the opening line of the song a question is asked, “ Can you lie next to her and give her your heart as well as your body?” Throughout the song it is known that the man is actually being used instead of the woman, which is an unusual circumstance. The man gave his all to a woman and in the end got his heart broken. The thing I like most about this song, and Mumford in Sons, is the complexity of the lyrics. The lyrics are not cliche and do not give the usual, “I love you but you broke my heart,” simplistic lyrics. Their style is so intriguing and every song leaves you pondering its true definition. For example, within the second verse of the song the artist says, “ You did not think when you sent me to the grave.” This is implying that when the girl left the guy she also took his life with her. It’s a little dramatic, but very meaningful. The idea that when someone leaves you, they leave with your life and you’re left with nothing is fascinating to me. I recommend this song to anyone who enjoys listening to music that makes you think above and beyond. 

Fake Sympathy For Amy Winehouse

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Recently, London singer Amy Winehouse passed away in her home. Yes, it’s a shame that she died and she was only 27-years-old, but i don’t exactly understand why anyone is surprised. Her own PARENTS have settled with the fact that she’s dead. People on Facebook and Twitter are going crazy over the tragedy, as if she wasn’t a DRUG & ALCOHOL addict. According to the NYPost.com,

Winehouse attempted to buy ecstacy and heroin hours before her death. Amy Winehouse was out of the lime light for a while, and suddenly everyone wants to act like die hard fans of her. No sympathy is better then fake sympathy, and I don’t see why everyone is concerned out of nowhere. I’m not saying that it was good that she died, but i have NO sympathy for people who use and abuse drugs when they know what could happen to them.

Superhero Plotlines Are Not So Super

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I watched Captain America: The First Avenger this weekend, and as I predicted, it was predictable. Every line, character and subplot has already been used in the countless superhero movies that have been made in the past. Yes, it is a new actor, and yes, it is based off an entirely different comic-book, but all these movies are exactly the same. The hero is always an unfailingly honest person, the hero always gets the sassy girl, the hero always loses his best friend and the hero always wins. The problem with this repetition is that, for some reason, people always get a kick out of it.
 

Captain America: The First Avenger topped the box office of course. Unless, all the money came from people who watched the movie only to criticize it like me, I have no idea how they do so well. Yes, I understand that I sound like a total snob right now, but it is just that I am so upset how great movies like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and The Puppet King don’t get the recognition they deserve. The two movies I mentioned are beautifully crafted and filled with swells of emotion. I would consider these two movies an art! The actors give their all in these movies, and they are all wonderful to watch. They deserve to be applauded for their hard work.

My friend who watched Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind explained what she thought. She said that it (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) was made only to make people feel sad. Yes, I agree, the ending is not a happy-go-lucky kind of ending, but that is not the point of a movie. You are not supposed to just focus on the ending, but instead the moral of the story. The point of the movie is the way it is told. The point of a movie is the little twists in the plot. The point of the movie is the way the actors hold themselves. The point of a movie is the way the colors are displayed on the screen. The point of the movie is to make you feel sad, happy or angry. A movie is suppose to make you feel for the characters, and that is exactly what Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind does. These kind of movies should be the ones that top the box office, but it seems that people have a taste for movies that are unemotional and predictable.

A NFL Fantasy

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During the NFL season, there are always many things to get excited about. First, it is NFL season. Than, there is an annual Super Bowl party where everyone can make their fantasy football team!

A person who loves football should definitely get into making his or her own fantasy football team. It is so much fun for me, because I can finally put all my favorite players together and show everyone how good each player is.

My fantasy football team is called The New York Mayans. On my team I have NFL players from the Jets, Colts, Packers, Giants, Eagles, Jaguars, Texans, Falcons, Chiefs and Ravens. Of course, I don’t have any players from the Pittsburgh Steelers or the New England Patriots, because I hate those teams!

There are so many different combinations on my team that I am in love with. Mostly because there is a good chance I won’t see those certain players play together in the league. For example, Mark Sanchez, QB for the Jets, and Clay Matthews, OLB for the Green Bay Packers, will most likely never play together. These two players are probably set with their teams for a good amount of years, but they are together on my fantasy team!

After you get all your players together, you than have to join a league. I am in the Meadowlands Mayhem League, which was made by my friend’s parents. It is so much fun, because they are huge football fans and they announce the winner at their Super Bowl party. 

Publicly announcing the winners makes all of us want our team to win. But, since I cannot leave Ochocinco out, and I added rookies like JJ Watt and Casey Matthews (because of Clay), my team may not be getting so many points.  

It would be nice if my team wins, but honestly, I joined fantasy football so I could finally have a place where my favorite players can compete together. If Matt Ryan throws an interception, or Mike Vick fumbles the ball, it’s ok because I have Mark Sanchez there throwing the touchdown. Also, Braylon Edwards, from the Jets, and Greg Jennings, from the Packers, can bring lots of points to my team, because these WR knows how to make a touchdown.

So make your fantasy football team now and you will have more things to get excited about in football!

Beating The Heat in Long Island

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We are in the middle of July and the weather has begun to skyrocketed into the 90s, even the 100s! Although I wish I would of  stayed home under the cool breeze of my fan on Saturday, I was awaken at 7am to get ready for Long Island. 
As I made my way outside, I wanted to rush back into my house so bad. The humidity was driving me insane. I felt like I was in boiling water, and being cooked as much as possible. 
The sun was hitting me hard as I put on my sunglasses on and headed to the car.
Long Island is a peaceful place. It’s just how I pictured it. Houses with mailboxes are the first thing you see. A person has to drive miles to get to the nearest supermarket, and there are lots and LOTs of trees.
Long Island is one thing. Sitting in a car for hours in the middle seat is another. It is not pleasant. I was more excited to stretch out my legs then meet my aunt’s friends.
Her friend’s house is a one floor house with so much grass area. As we made our way through the back, the pool came into view. With the extreme weather Saturday had brought us, it was a good idea to spend the day near the pool.
My family and I were grateful to be invited into their home. I got to have a look at the house and I got to know my aunt’s friend’s daughter, who is a big fan of Twilight from the looks of the massive posters in her room.
After that, we got ready to eat. There were so many choices of food that they and my grandmother prepared. After eating, I finally was ready to dip my feet in the cool water. 
The water beneath my feet felt so good. I no longer wanted to run back to my fan at home. 
Long Island sure knows how to cool people off.

An Adventure for Cheesecake

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This past Saturday, all I could think about was devouring a delicious slice of cheesecake with raspberries on top. I tried to suppress my craving, but all the snacks I ate did not match up to the taste of cheesecake, specifically from TGI Friday’s. I could not help but think about how delicious those slices are. They are covered with caramel and strawberries and I couldn’t resist to have more than one slice, well actually five. This memory increased my craving so much, to the point that I went outside, in the boiling heat, and endured a 45 minute commute to the Friday’s on 42nd Street. Once I got there, I told the waitress I wanted a slice of cheesecake to go. I figured after I got it, I’d go into the nearest Starbucks to order a tall ice coffee with no milk or sugar and relax in the AC, while eating my cheesecake. However, my vision quickly shattered when the waitress informed me that there was no cheesecake left, “Try going to an Applebees,” she said. Disappointed, but willing to make another 45 minute commute, I went to the Applebees on Dekalb Avenue. By this time, I was starving and ready to eat anything. But, my conscious refused to allow me to go back home without eating a slice of cheesecake.

When I stepped into Applebees, I was once again sent to another place to get my cheesecake. Unfortunately, Applebee’s does not sell cheesecake at all. One of the waiters sent me to a bakery called Junior’s, which was a couple blocks from where I was. When I finally arrived to Junior’s, I realized they did not have the type of cheesecake I wanted. Instead, they had one with raspberry mixed inside, so I just took that instead. I paid almost $7 for the slice, but it was $7 well spent. The taste of the cheesecake made me forget about the hassle of getting it. The things people will do when they really want something are unbelievable.

The New Planking?

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Today, I stumbled across a Yahoo! slideshow that showed people diving into a pool. Right before the person fell in, someone would take a picture of them doing a leisure pose.
In my opinion, this is way cooler than planking. Would you rather see pictures of people laying down on things, or see pictures of people posing in mid-air? Of course, I pick the latter of the two!

Admit it–you’ve tried taking a picture with your friends jumping at the same time, we’ve all done it before. And doing it while jumping into a pool makes it fun. To be honest, I doubt it’s going to become the next planking or owling, but mostly because not everyone lives in an area where they can dive into a pool all year-round. The idea of being in a swimsuit in the middle of January, in New York City, or diving into a pool for a picture, seems crazy. But who knows? Maybe people in the South (Miami!!) can continue this new thing. I sure hope so. The idea of coming home on a winter night to see cool pictures of summery things sounds appealing. But for now, while it’s still summer, let’s all go out with our friends, bring our swim trunks (or bikinis) and our cameras and get diving!

Fire Overwhelms Park Avenue, Killing an Elderly Man

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Saturday was an evening too hot to enjoy outside, because of the heat and humidity. I decided to spend the night at home with my friends. Around 1am, I noticed flashing lights outside my window. I took a peep out the window, and noticed smoke building from the second floor of the apartment building across the street. I jetted to Park Avenue and 75th, where I saw about 13 fire trucks and around 30 firefighters. There were several ladders dispatched through the second floor windows. Firefighters were on ladders and breaking window bars to get access inside of the apartment. This made it easier to take anyone out of the building. 83-year-old Howard Bogard was removed from the building after passing out from smoke inhalation. Bogard later died in the hospital. Such activity is rare in the Upper East Side, which made this a stimulating occurrence. My condolences go to his wife. Seven firefighters were also injured in the fire.

Not So Happy Ending

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“500 Days of Summer” is honestly the best movie in the world. The story starts off with a narration that says, “Let me tell you up front this isn’t a love story.” The plot is about two people that begin with a semi-platonic friendship that turns into a one-sided relationship. The sad part is that the girl Summer was never in love with her friend Tom. They went through many ups and downs, and gradually their confused relationship disintegrated. The character Summer always preached that having a boyfriend and girlfriend is unrealistic and how she doesn’t believe in love. But a few months after her and Tom ended their friendship, she got married. The thing I love most about this movie is that it’s realistic. Love does not always prevail; everyone does not always have a happy ending. Romance movies usually have tragic events throughout the film, but ultimately the couple ends up together and of course blissful. This movie shows the other side, the real side. this movie shows that you do not always end up with who you love most, or the person you love may not love you. Romance movies are my favorite so it’s kind of weird that I would like the one with the least happy ending. One can say Romeo and Juliet is a tragic love story without a happy ending, but I disagree. Yes it was tragic, but Romeo and Juliet died with the thought of knowing that they were being unconditionally loved by another being. What more can someone ask for? In “500 Days of Summer” Tom has to live with the fact that the perfect girl for him was off making someone else happy.